


Tonight Will Be Fine (For A While).

by Lanna Michaels (lannamichaels)



Category: Vorkosigan Saga - Lois McMaster Bujold
Genre: Community: contrelamontre, Leonard Cohen Lyrics, M/M, Piotr Vorkosigan Will Overthrow Any Damn Emperor He Pleases, Song Lyric Title, Time Period: Night of Yuri Vorbarra's Massacre, Time Period: Reign of Ezar Vorbarra, Time Period: Reign of Yuri Vorbarra, Time Period: Yuri Vorbarra's Civil War, Treason
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2010-10-12
Updated: 2010-10-12
Packaged: 2017-10-12 14:55:35
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 630
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/126091
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/lannamichaels/pseuds/Lanna%20Michaels
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>They will storm history in the morning.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Tonight Will Be Fine (For A While).

**Author's Note:**

> This was written for the [](http://contrelamontre.dreamwidth.org/profile)[**contrelamontre**](http://contrelamontre.dreamwidth.org/) (Dreamwidth community) forty minute Storm challenge. The title is from the song of the same name by Leonard Cohen, though it was the Teddy Thompson cover I had on repeat while writing this in the middle of a thunderstorm. :)

His wife is dead and Piotr Vorkosigan is undressing in Ezar's private rooms.

Ezar swallows against a suddenly dry throat, but he doesn't say anything. There isn't anything to say now. At least, nothing comes to mind. He'd considered giving condolences on his losses, but loss implies a lack of fault, and there is fault here in spades. Both Piotr and Xav have made it clear that no condolences are desired, that they would consider it to be an insult. What happened tonight was murder, not disease or age. These deaths must be avenged before they can be mourned.

Xav and Piotr had been very clear on that, with twin looks on their faces, and Ezar would not argue with men who have just lost their children at the Emperor's order.

And now they are traitors in truth and not just Yuri's imagination. Xav is spending the night sitting with little Aral in their field hospital, and as soon as he had seen his son to safety, Piotr had grabbed Ezar, and Ezar's never been able to disobey Piotr in anything. Argue with him, he's done his share of that. But he's yet to disobey him.

Piotr hadn't said a word, though. Not a word as they made their way to where the senior staff are quartered, not a word as Ezar secured the door, and not a word since.

Piotr's filthy. They both are, really, but Piotr has been traveling through the mud, through the storm currently raging around them. Yuri'd picked a good night to go mad, Ezar thinks. It's dark and stormy, full of omen and portent and danger. His death squads could have convenient accidents on their way back from committing their murders and it could be blamed easily on the storm, on poor equipment, on fatal mistakes.

It's a good night for death, Ezar thinks. It's a good night for death and secrets and horrors.

It's a good night for treason.

Ezar crosses the space between them with two paces and Piotr grabs Ezar's tunic into a fist and pulls, and Ezar moves with it, moves with it with the practice of a thousand hours of close-quarters combat training, a thousand practice sessions grappling with Piotr and deadly weapons, and he knows his lines and he knows his moves, and he moves with it, he follows Piotr's lead, and then Piotr has him up against the wall and is growling at him, against his mouth, and it's like thunder in Ezar's ears and Ezar returns the sound and then the kiss.

They will storm history in the morning. They will return tonight's rage measure for measure against the Emperor. They will rise and revolt and when it settles, it will be Ezar on the throne. That is Xav's word. Xav's treason. Xav's anger and Xav's will and Xav's revenge. Xav and his rage had stared down the gate guards, those poor terrified boys who'd had orders from the capital to shoot the Prince on sight. Xav and his determination. And his treason.

Ezar's treason now, too. He's sworn himself into this little conspiracy. He's taken Xav's oath. Piotr's oath. Aral's oath.

And Yuri will know soon that General Ezar Vorbarra has declared himself Emperor, that he has dared to take oaths, that he has swayed a Count to his side. That Ezar Vorbarra is daring to storm history, to take back from tonight's storm some last vestige of the future.

And Piotr Vorkosigan is biting at Ezar like a wild thing, like this is how his oath is made, in blood and sweat and the night's dirt clinging to them both, that this is how Piotr gives voice to treason. With intent.

Emperor Ezar hears thunder through the walls and thinks: We are the storm.


End file.
